After over a month out of school, Chase is finally back in his studies. Mama said he really loves the school, but I have not had time to talk to him about it. I did see him briefly at basketball practice last night but I was not able to hang on late enough to spend any time with him.
Mama and I both had a very rough night Sunday night. It was one of those nights when you never really get to sleep; like you have spent the entire night napping. I did not know she was having the same problem until we talked Monday morning. We both felt like we were up for a few minutes every hour, then every half hour, then finally sleeping well when we needed to get up. It made for a long day for both of us.
So, back to Chase, it was only 9 p.m. when his practice ended but we had gone to the school to pick him up at 8 p.m. thinking that was when practice ended only to be told that he was practicing until 9 p.m. I was dragging when we got there early. I did not want to try for another hour. So I will catch up to him tonight.
He is going to San Jacinto Christian Academy. It is set up very much like a public High School in that there are different classrooms he has to go to for different classed, teachers giving lectures, chalkboard activities, cafeteria, study hall, etc. It will keep him busy for the remainder of the school year. The problem is that is we have to move this coming summer; this semester will be his only time in this school. That’s a little bit of a bummer.
I submitted a long list of missing items to our shippers yesterday. They were a little embarrassed by the loss of our things and promised to track them down. We will have to wait to see how that turns out. In the mean time I am not feeling the loss too badly except for the loss of all of my hammers. Mama wants me to hang pictures so I will have to replace at least one hammer even to do that simple chore.
Cori was telling Mama yesterday about an expression our granddaughter used to describe a situation she had corrected for her mommy. Cori had put Blake (now five months old) in a bouncer so he could have some time out of the arms of any adult or child wanting to hold him. Since Nate’s family had just left it seemed appropriate to let the child have some free time.
Mykenzie came to her mommy and explained that Blake had been “squishing out” of the bouncer, but not to worry, she had “squished him back in.” Cori had not heard any crying so she knew things were alright so she had her three-year-old show her what she was talking about.
Blake had been sliding down in the bouncer and ended up slipping to one side. He does not yet have the best posture. His sister, worried by his uneven pose in the cloth seat of the bouncer, had simply straightened him up by “squishing” him back in properly.
Thank God babies are resilient.
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Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Smaller is better?
We are still reeling with fitting into the size of this house but I think in the long run it will be better for us. Mama and I have agreed that we do not need the size of house we have been used to owning but it is proving a difficult idea to lay aside. We are getting rid of a lot of extra baggage we have been able to store in past abodes, but we are having trouble in this one.
As we went through the boxes yesterday Mama found out how many boxes we have that are things we are still holding for our kids. I think I counted ten big boxes and several smaller ones. I hope we will be able to get rid of some of the things in them – since I have no idea what is actually in them.
Mama had actually gone through some of the other containers and allowed us to put some things in the dumpster. It was the first time I remember her volunteering to throw stuff away; really important stuff like grade school papers of Joshua’s, and kindergarten crafts for Cori. I still had to hang onto Children’s Church craft items that it may be a year or more before we have the chance to use them – if we remember we have them and can find them when we remember we have them.
All in all we are getting the idea of scaling down and it is a good thing. Now if we can get the kids used to the idea.
As we went through the boxes yesterday Mama found out how many boxes we have that are things we are still holding for our kids. I think I counted ten big boxes and several smaller ones. I hope we will be able to get rid of some of the things in them – since I have no idea what is actually in them.
Mama had actually gone through some of the other containers and allowed us to put some things in the dumpster. It was the first time I remember her volunteering to throw stuff away; really important stuff like grade school papers of Joshua’s, and kindergarten crafts for Cori. I still had to hang onto Children’s Church craft items that it may be a year or more before we have the chance to use them – if we remember we have them and can find them when we remember we have them.
All in all we are getting the idea of scaling down and it is a good thing. Now if we can get the kids used to the idea.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Home, Trash, Parking
Coming home from a visit like we enjoyed over Thanksgiving is, at the very least, anti-climactic. To spice up the eight hours of travel home we stopped to eat at Pancho’s and later we stopped at a mall in Wichita Falls for Chase to check out one of the name brand stores he likes to advertize for. We did pick up a few things which I was assured were priced really great.
We rolled into Amarillo about 7 p.m. and parked in front of the house because the one open spot in the driveway, which is in the back of the house, was where we had Seth park his car while we were away. It is not a bad location but the person or company that installed the fence was not very forward thinking. The houses are fenced solid across the front of all the houses so there is no communication from front to back.
After we had moved in I asked the builder about the plan for mowing the yard. If the mower is stored in the garage – which is in back of the house – what plan was there to get the mower around to the front of the house? As it stands right now it has to be walked from the garage, down the alley to the corner and along the sidewalk to the front of the house. I asked Mama if I could push it through the house when I needed to mow the front yard. That suggestion was not well received.
The boys farmed out the forty or so trash bags full of packing paper to the many dumpsters that are placed in the alley behind the houses. This alley parallels the street for several blocks and there are at least fifteen dumpsters along the way. I did not want to overload any one so we partially loaded all of them. I still have over fifty boxes broken down and ready to recycle if I can find a place to take them. Otherwise, we will follow suit with them.
As we opened every box still stacked in the garage today I tried to keep an eye open for the possibility of moving all the stored items to the sides of the garage in hopes of parking at least one car in the garage. Fortunately most of the cabinetry and shelving for my tools are on wheels or some sort of mobile platform so I can consolidate when needed. After we put some large totes – full of Beanies – in the very limited attic space, I was able to make room.
And after twenty-eight years of marriage, Mama and I have a two car garage with enough space to park one car inside it. That may not seem like much of an accomplishment for others, but I was happy with some little progress.
We rolled into Amarillo about 7 p.m. and parked in front of the house because the one open spot in the driveway, which is in the back of the house, was where we had Seth park his car while we were away. It is not a bad location but the person or company that installed the fence was not very forward thinking. The houses are fenced solid across the front of all the houses so there is no communication from front to back.
After we had moved in I asked the builder about the plan for mowing the yard. If the mower is stored in the garage – which is in back of the house – what plan was there to get the mower around to the front of the house? As it stands right now it has to be walked from the garage, down the alley to the corner and along the sidewalk to the front of the house. I asked Mama if I could push it through the house when I needed to mow the front yard. That suggestion was not well received.
The boys farmed out the forty or so trash bags full of packing paper to the many dumpsters that are placed in the alley behind the houses. This alley parallels the street for several blocks and there are at least fifteen dumpsters along the way. I did not want to overload any one so we partially loaded all of them. I still have over fifty boxes broken down and ready to recycle if I can find a place to take them. Otherwise, we will follow suit with them.
As we opened every box still stacked in the garage today I tried to keep an eye open for the possibility of moving all the stored items to the sides of the garage in hopes of parking at least one car in the garage. Fortunately most of the cabinetry and shelving for my tools are on wheels or some sort of mobile platform so I can consolidate when needed. After we put some large totes – full of Beanies – in the very limited attic space, I was able to make room.
And after twenty-eight years of marriage, Mama and I have a two car garage with enough space to park one car inside it. That may not seem like much of an accomplishment for others, but I was happy with some little progress.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Thanksgiving, Behind the scenes
We broke out thefour wheelers early this morning and Seth led the pack in both speed and stunts.Sarah and Fabian made the mistake of offering the ATV’s as a distraction. Fabian said that they have not had very much run time in the past few months so it was a win-win situation. The boys ran both of them out of gas over a five to six hour period. That was an easy fix. Other minor mechanical issues plagued them through the afternoon and evening but nothing slowed them down much.
I had to shut Seth and my nephew Brian down about 5 p.m. because they were starting to get bored with ¼ mile wheelees at forty miles an hour and three feet of air ramping over the driveway at Sarah and Fabian’s property. I thought if I did not put a stop to the”fun” we all might have serious regrets. It was time. It was getting dark and very cold.
About 10 a.m. the South wind died and abruply shifted north. The temperature dropped over thrty degrees in less than four hours. We are seeing temperatures of 15 degrees F predicted in Amarillo. Here it will stay above freezing but the winds are still howling at 35-40mph. When I called it a night, the boys were frozen but were too macho to admit it. I figured four-wheeling was done for the weekend.
Now the dishes are washed and put away and the left overs – which are few with the crowd we had here – are repackaged for the night. I can say honestly it was really fun. We have enjoyed the company of family and I think my mom and dad enjoyed it thoroughly also. Mom was in some pain but she hung in for most of the day and left only when she could no longer sit comfortably.
Of my family, my two younger brothers, Tony and Danny were here and my three younger sisters Janet, Martha and of course, Sarah, were here also. Tony’s wife, Barbara, and his three kids Chris, Stephanie and Brian were here. Janet and her husband Tim and their two girls, Hannah and Esther were here. Our Mom and Dad were here. Martha and her daughter Trish were here. So with our four and Sarah and Fabian and their two kids, we filled out the house.
Conversations were many, varied and loud and Mama remarked that she had not seen me talk as much as she had this day in most of our married life. When we both realized that we have not seen some of my sibling in as much as ten years, there was a great deal of catching up to do – on both parts. And it was entertaining to for the most part.
Tony’s first reamark to me after a six or seven year absence was “Wow. Do you ever look just like Dad!” Fortunately, we both consider that a compliment.
I had to shut Seth and my nephew Brian down about 5 p.m. because they were starting to get bored with ¼ mile wheelees at forty miles an hour and three feet of air ramping over the driveway at Sarah and Fabian’s property. I thought if I did not put a stop to the”fun” we all might have serious regrets. It was time. It was getting dark and very cold.
About 10 a.m. the South wind died and abruply shifted north. The temperature dropped over thrty degrees in less than four hours. We are seeing temperatures of 15 degrees F predicted in Amarillo. Here it will stay above freezing but the winds are still howling at 35-40mph. When I called it a night, the boys were frozen but were too macho to admit it. I figured four-wheeling was done for the weekend.
Now the dishes are washed and put away and the left overs – which are few with the crowd we had here – are repackaged for the night. I can say honestly it was really fun. We have enjoyed the company of family and I think my mom and dad enjoyed it thoroughly also. Mom was in some pain but she hung in for most of the day and left only when she could no longer sit comfortably.
Of my family, my two younger brothers, Tony and Danny were here and my three younger sisters Janet, Martha and of course, Sarah, were here also. Tony’s wife, Barbara, and his three kids Chris, Stephanie and Brian were here. Janet and her husband Tim and their two girls, Hannah and Esther were here. Our Mom and Dad were here. Martha and her daughter Trish were here. So with our four and Sarah and Fabian and their two kids, we filled out the house.
Conversations were many, varied and loud and Mama remarked that she had not seen me talk as much as she had this day in most of our married life. When we both realized that we have not seen some of my sibling in as much as ten years, there was a great deal of catching up to do – on both parts. And it was entertaining to for the most part.
Tony’s first reamark to me after a six or seven year absence was “Wow. Do you ever look just like Dad!” Fortunately, we both consider that a compliment.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
On the road again, Family
After only a week in our house we packed our overnight bags and traveled south to visit family. It was a pleasant trip of about 450 miles to my sister’s house in Rogers, TX. It was interesting how much the landscape changed as we traveled south east, but what we impressed me more was how much the temperature changed. When we left Amarillo the temperature was 41 degrees. When we got to Temple, TX it was 83 degrees.
My sister Sarah and her husband and children live in a beautiful house that is placed on the edge of a large, open expanse of gently rolling fields. It gives you the sense of true Texas living; unencumbered, uncrowded, and uncluttered. Not many people can have what they have and they are aware of the richness of their surroundings…Truly delightful people whose open hearts are reflected in the land around them.
We are here for Thanksgiving. Some of the family we have not seen for five years, other’s we may not have seen for over a decade. It is hard for me to remember and as sure as Mama seems to be on the time line, I am not convinced she remembers either. It’s not important. We are here. We will be together and we can start again from here. At least we are in Texas now and travel will be far less than the thirty hours we had from New Jersey to here.
Preparations are underway for the dinner tomorrow and Mama and I are enjoying working together with Sarah and Fabian on the menu. It reminds me of the cooking competitions we have watched on TV only without the crybaby element – at least the crowding and dodging each other as we work in her kitchen reminds me of the TV shows. It is fun and that is right up our alley.
Tonight and tomorrow should be interesting.
My sister Sarah and her husband and children live in a beautiful house that is placed on the edge of a large, open expanse of gently rolling fields. It gives you the sense of true Texas living; unencumbered, uncrowded, and uncluttered. Not many people can have what they have and they are aware of the richness of their surroundings…Truly delightful people whose open hearts are reflected in the land around them.
We are here for Thanksgiving. Some of the family we have not seen for five years, other’s we may not have seen for over a decade. It is hard for me to remember and as sure as Mama seems to be on the time line, I am not convinced she remembers either. It’s not important. We are here. We will be together and we can start again from here. At least we are in Texas now and travel will be far less than the thirty hours we had from New Jersey to here.
Preparations are underway for the dinner tomorrow and Mama and I are enjoying working together with Sarah and Fabian on the menu. It reminds me of the cooking competitions we have watched on TV only without the crybaby element – at least the crowding and dodging each other as we work in her kitchen reminds me of the TV shows. It is fun and that is right up our alley.
Tonight and tomorrow should be interesting.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Baptism, Reclaiming Texas
Mama and I were baptized as Independent Fundamental Baptists on Sunday morning. It was an easy thing to do and I am trusting it was necessary but I will have to do far more study and praying to confirm it in my own mind. I do not really have to know as long as I am willing to obey. I got wet in the right frame of mind, the right attitude of heart and the right water. Once and done. I will leave the rest to God.
It was a small exercise of faith to be a part of the church we are now yoked up with. It is the most prayerful body of believers I have ever seen. And they are really fun to be around. For Seth this has been one of the missing elements of his spiritual walk. The pastor has taken a real liking to Seth and has helped him more in two weeks than years spent with his former pastor. Since we had him with us in New Jersey and he was pulled away far too early, he has been looking for a man of God to look up to. It is an answer to our prayers.
Mama and I were up early today wanting to get an early start on registering the van here in Texas. We have been hearing horror stories about the time involved in the process so we were prepared to spend all day on the task. In Texas to register a new vehicle you first get insurance, then you need a state inspection. After these are done you have to go and register the vehicle at the county courthouse. That takes a great deal of paperwork all of which I had tried to guard for that purpose alone.
To that point the effort was pretty painless even though it took over forty minutes for the insurance, thirty minutes for the inspection and another forty minutes at the courthouse. All those papers in hand we went to the licensing bureau, the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas.
I let Mama out to get in line and as I entered the building I was wished “Good Luck!” by two people who were leaving the building. Mama was already in line with three people behind her but there were only about twenty people total in line. As we were beginning our painfully slow movement forward a woman at the help desk came and began to talk to us. It turns out she was impressed by the handful of papers I had with me. She took our applications when we explained that we had Texas licenses less than ten years ago.
She brought the applications back in a few minutes and told us we would get the same license numbers we had years ago. It only took an hour from that time to wait through the five people in line ahead of us to get our chance to submit our impressive paperwork. All the paperwork took about twenty minutes for each of us. It took almost that long for the woman helping us to warm up to us – but Mama finally won her over. So in just short of three hours and we were competely done.
Not much of a horror story for us but we won’t correct any expectations of those who have their own stories to tell.
It was a small exercise of faith to be a part of the church we are now yoked up with. It is the most prayerful body of believers I have ever seen. And they are really fun to be around. For Seth this has been one of the missing elements of his spiritual walk. The pastor has taken a real liking to Seth and has helped him more in two weeks than years spent with his former pastor. Since we had him with us in New Jersey and he was pulled away far too early, he has been looking for a man of God to look up to. It is an answer to our prayers.
Mama and I were up early today wanting to get an early start on registering the van here in Texas. We have been hearing horror stories about the time involved in the process so we were prepared to spend all day on the task. In Texas to register a new vehicle you first get insurance, then you need a state inspection. After these are done you have to go and register the vehicle at the county courthouse. That takes a great deal of paperwork all of which I had tried to guard for that purpose alone.
To that point the effort was pretty painless even though it took over forty minutes for the insurance, thirty minutes for the inspection and another forty minutes at the courthouse. All those papers in hand we went to the licensing bureau, the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas.
I let Mama out to get in line and as I entered the building I was wished “Good Luck!” by two people who were leaving the building. Mama was already in line with three people behind her but there were only about twenty people total in line. As we were beginning our painfully slow movement forward a woman at the help desk came and began to talk to us. It turns out she was impressed by the handful of papers I had with me. She took our applications when we explained that we had Texas licenses less than ten years ago.
She brought the applications back in a few minutes and told us we would get the same license numbers we had years ago. It only took an hour from that time to wait through the five people in line ahead of us to get our chance to submit our impressive paperwork. All the paperwork took about twenty minutes for each of us. It took almost that long for the woman helping us to warm up to us – but Mama finally won her over. So in just short of three hours and we were competely done.
Not much of a horror story for us but we won’t correct any expectations of those who have their own stories to tell.
Still Unpacking, Neighbors
Saying we are still unpacking is like saying we are still breathing. We spent the entire day opening boxes, shuffling the contents and setting aside those things we are going to leave packed up. I am especially annoyed by the boxes and totes of Beanies. This is the fourth move I have carried them through and tried to make space for them as many things more important to me have been let go or kept outside to accommodate these useless space wasters.
This is the third move in which I have been promised that they will find a new home. As it has turned out the last three times the new home was one we moved into. I have told Mama enough is enough. Her Beanies are finally back in Texas and here they will stay. Of course, our next move is probably going to be in Texas, but I hope it is not an idle threat.
Help arrived today and Mama had a great time with two ladies from the church as they unpacked things mostly dealing with the kitchen. As they unloaded the third box containing nothing but boxes of cereal they really began to tease Mama. The final count was over thirty boxes of cereal – but it was all bought on sale. When they unloaded a box containing nothing but spices – over sixty containers – they began to talk about intervention. God bless them!!
One neighbor in particular caught our attention. I met her on Friday as she stopped to ask if we were having a garage sale. She is a frazzled, lonely older woman, a recent divorcee – it is pretty obvious why when you see her – and a non-stop talker. She would not go away and I could not run her off. I suggested that the ladies witness to her because it is obvious she needs help, but they all thought it was more entertaining watching me deal with her. Awkward!
When Mama finally shared a tract with her she began to tell me about a time of desperate loneliness (my words) in her life when she begged God to send someone to comfort her. As she prayed her dog moved from the far end of the couch and took up residence on her lap. It was the next day, she told me, before she realized how her prayer had been answered. After all, she explained, dog spelled backwards is God.
I did not offer any other thoughts. I just begged God to send Mama back out to rescue me.
This is the third move in which I have been promised that they will find a new home. As it has turned out the last three times the new home was one we moved into. I have told Mama enough is enough. Her Beanies are finally back in Texas and here they will stay. Of course, our next move is probably going to be in Texas, but I hope it is not an idle threat.
Help arrived today and Mama had a great time with two ladies from the church as they unpacked things mostly dealing with the kitchen. As they unloaded the third box containing nothing but boxes of cereal they really began to tease Mama. The final count was over thirty boxes of cereal – but it was all bought on sale. When they unloaded a box containing nothing but spices – over sixty containers – they began to talk about intervention. God bless them!!
One neighbor in particular caught our attention. I met her on Friday as she stopped to ask if we were having a garage sale. She is a frazzled, lonely older woman, a recent divorcee – it is pretty obvious why when you see her – and a non-stop talker. She would not go away and I could not run her off. I suggested that the ladies witness to her because it is obvious she needs help, but they all thought it was more entertaining watching me deal with her. Awkward!
When Mama finally shared a tract with her she began to tell me about a time of desperate loneliness (my words) in her life when she begged God to send someone to comfort her. As she prayed her dog moved from the far end of the couch and took up residence on her lap. It was the next day, she told me, before she realized how her prayer had been answered. After all, she explained, dog spelled backwards is God.
I did not offer any other thoughts. I just begged God to send Mama back out to rescue me.
Unpacking, Too much stuff, Dumpster diving, Brian Regan
I went to work this morning but after getting there I felt bad about the mess in the house and the garage and left for home at about 8 keep a.m. I found Mama at breakfast and surprised her. After we got the hotel room emptied we left for the house.
I had to fight the urge to keep from getting overwhelmed as I opened the garage door and began working through the enormous collection of boxes. Mama had arranged for help to come on Saturday so I had to get far enough ahead to give them something to work with. I realized that we would have to handle the boxes several times to get things where we would finally need them and I came to the conclusion that we would have to rent a POD to give us the storage space and also limit our repeat handling of the boxes we were not going to unpack.
I did start to unpack and began to throw away some items. I found out pretty quickly that I could not let Mama see any of the things we were dumping because she removed several things from boxes we had set aside to throw away. From that point on I had the boys put things straight in the dumpsters that are stationed in the alley behind the house. The dumpsters closest to the house were soon very full and I began to worry since I don’t know the schedule for emptying them.
It turns out I did not have to worry because early in the afternoon a couple women came by and got nearly everything out that we had put in that morning. They even stopped to see if I had anything else ready to throw away. I guess it would have saved them the trouble of getting it back out of the trash.
I finally had to quit about 5p.m. I was out of energy and we had to get ready to go see Brian Regan at the Convention C enter in downtown Amarillo. It turned out to be about ten minutes away. Now I can get into that!
Mama said after the performance that her face hurt form laughing so much. I felt terrible as we were driving home because I could not really remember very many of the joke he or the guy who opened before his told – except one.
The guy before told of a time when, because of a spill he took into a backyard fish pond he had to run to the basement and take off all his clothing to get out of the wet, smelly cloths. As he raced through the house naked, he saw his wife talking on the phone and wondered how that conversation was going, but nothing was said in the moments when he returned fully clothed, except, “Would you like a sandwich?
“Sure. A sandwich would be great.” As they ate, he asked, “Did you see me run through the house naked?” “Yeah” “Any questions about that?” “No” He explained that that is one of the fundamental differences between men and women because if a man saw his wife run through the house naked as he was talking on the phone, he would immediately hand up and go find out what was up.
Funny that I should remember that one.
I had to fight the urge to keep from getting overwhelmed as I opened the garage door and began working through the enormous collection of boxes. Mama had arranged for help to come on Saturday so I had to get far enough ahead to give them something to work with. I realized that we would have to handle the boxes several times to get things where we would finally need them and I came to the conclusion that we would have to rent a POD to give us the storage space and also limit our repeat handling of the boxes we were not going to unpack.
I did start to unpack and began to throw away some items. I found out pretty quickly that I could not let Mama see any of the things we were dumping because she removed several things from boxes we had set aside to throw away. From that point on I had the boys put things straight in the dumpsters that are stationed in the alley behind the house. The dumpsters closest to the house were soon very full and I began to worry since I don’t know the schedule for emptying them.
It turns out I did not have to worry because early in the afternoon a couple women came by and got nearly everything out that we had put in that morning. They even stopped to see if I had anything else ready to throw away. I guess it would have saved them the trouble of getting it back out of the trash.
I finally had to quit about 5p.m. I was out of energy and we had to get ready to go see Brian Regan at the Convention C enter in downtown Amarillo. It turned out to be about ten minutes away. Now I can get into that!
Mama said after the performance that her face hurt form laughing so much. I felt terrible as we were driving home because I could not really remember very many of the joke he or the guy who opened before his told – except one.
The guy before told of a time when, because of a spill he took into a backyard fish pond he had to run to the basement and take off all his clothing to get out of the wet, smelly cloths. As he raced through the house naked, he saw his wife talking on the phone and wondered how that conversation was going, but nothing was said in the moments when he returned fully clothed, except, “Would you like a sandwich?
“Sure. A sandwich would be great.” As they ate, he asked, “Did you see me run through the house naked?” “Yeah” “Any questions about that?” “No” He explained that that is one of the fundamental differences between men and women because if a man saw his wife run through the house naked as he was talking on the phone, he would immediately hand up and go find out what was up.
Funny that I should remember that one.
Late Movers, From Empty to overwhelmed
We were assured that the movers would be at the house between nine and ten in the morning so Mama and I got up early to get things prepared and to make sure the boys were up and ready. By 10:45 I was calling because we were still sitting on the floor of our empty house waiting. We were told that the trailer our things were loaded on had a flat tire and was being repaired.
By the time they had arrived I had decided that we should get the truck behind the house and use the garage and patio entrances to move things into the house since there were too many vehicles parked in the front of our house. A neighbor told us they had been there for several months so I tried to talk the neighbor on the other side without any success.
Wednesday after church I stopped at the house of the people I had been told were the owners of the two cars and a trailer abandoned at our space on the curb and it did not go well. An older Latino man drew back a corner of the blinds in the front window – the one that opens to the porch – and he was not happy I was there. It was late and I apologized and explained that we would have a big moving van to unload in the morning. Could he please move and of the idle vehicles that belonged to him so we could have more room?
HE said they were not his and he did not know who owned them, but the next morning one of the cars was parked behind his house. The others were stationary, but I had already talked myself into unloading through the garage.
The movers showed up after lunch and got right to work. I knew we might be in trouble when I saw that our stuff took over twenty five feet of space on the truck – wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling. By the time we were four hours into it the garage was overflowing. I had filled the garage in four rows of boxes and other items stacked to the ceiling with little open pathways so we could work our way through the boxes later.
By the time I had given up hope of getting anything else into the house or the garage even Mama was saying, “This is ridiculous. I’m going to start throwing stuff out!” With my full blessing. Praise the Lord!!
By the time they had arrived I had decided that we should get the truck behind the house and use the garage and patio entrances to move things into the house since there were too many vehicles parked in the front of our house. A neighbor told us they had been there for several months so I tried to talk the neighbor on the other side without any success.
Wednesday after church I stopped at the house of the people I had been told were the owners of the two cars and a trailer abandoned at our space on the curb and it did not go well. An older Latino man drew back a corner of the blinds in the front window – the one that opens to the porch – and he was not happy I was there. It was late and I apologized and explained that we would have a big moving van to unload in the morning. Could he please move and of the idle vehicles that belonged to him so we could have more room?
HE said they were not his and he did not know who owned them, but the next morning one of the cars was parked behind his house. The others were stationary, but I had already talked myself into unloading through the garage.
The movers showed up after lunch and got right to work. I knew we might be in trouble when I saw that our stuff took over twenty five feet of space on the truck – wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling. By the time we were four hours into it the garage was overflowing. I had filled the garage in four rows of boxes and other items stacked to the ceiling with little open pathways so we could work our way through the boxes later.
By the time I had given up hope of getting anything else into the house or the garage even Mama was saying, “This is ridiculous. I’m going to start throwing stuff out!” With my full blessing. Praise the Lord!!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Meeting the Pastor
Our Pastor and his wife met us at the hotel last night. I had asked him last week to meet with us concerning joining the church. They are both delightful people and we are impressed with the church and all the people we have met so far, so there is no question that we will join Central Baptist Church, but that all things be done properly I knew it was important that the pastor interview us for his peace of mind if nothing else.
We talked for over an hour – almost two in fact. Then he startled us just a bit by advising us to be re-baptized in the church since neither Mama nor I was baptized in an Independent Fundamental Baptist Church. I was baptized in the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) and Mama in a small Methodist Community Church.
At first I was taken aback. I made sure he had no problem with our profession of faith. He did not. His concern was the authority under which we were baptized. His concern was that all things be done to maintain a consistency and a purity in the application of doctrinal truth as it relates to the Independent Fundamental Baptist beliefs. I have no problem getting re-baptized in order to ease his mind and maintain a set order. At the worst we will get wet. At the best we will get blessed. I was surprised that it had never been brought up before since we have moved our membership through three such churches previously. And I have to admit that it took me some time to get to sleep last night as I reasoned through the idea. So I finally settled on this thought. God sent us here to this church, to this man of God. If this is an important element for him it costs me nothing to submit but it would cost me dearly to resist. And the issue will forever be settled. If there is something more to know about it, God will let me know it only as I am obedient.
Mama and I thought back through the years and realized that all of our children have been baptized in an Independent Fundamental Baptist Church, so there is no issue for them if they seek to join with us here. So this Sunday we will set the record straight. Unusual, but not difficult.
Chase is taking his placement testing for San Jacinto Christian School in Amarillo this morning. I have tried to get him to refresh his memory by review of some of the materials he has with him, but I am pretty sure in the month he has been between schools he has not put in more that six hours total. I know he is incredibly bright, but our memories can only retain so much and when tested it can be very disappointing to find out how little that “so much” really is.
I tried to warn him. Today we will see how it turns out.
We talked for over an hour – almost two in fact. Then he startled us just a bit by advising us to be re-baptized in the church since neither Mama nor I was baptized in an Independent Fundamental Baptist Church. I was baptized in the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) and Mama in a small Methodist Community Church.
At first I was taken aback. I made sure he had no problem with our profession of faith. He did not. His concern was the authority under which we were baptized. His concern was that all things be done to maintain a consistency and a purity in the application of doctrinal truth as it relates to the Independent Fundamental Baptist beliefs. I have no problem getting re-baptized in order to ease his mind and maintain a set order. At the worst we will get wet. At the best we will get blessed. I was surprised that it had never been brought up before since we have moved our membership through three such churches previously. And I have to admit that it took me some time to get to sleep last night as I reasoned through the idea. So I finally settled on this thought. God sent us here to this church, to this man of God. If this is an important element for him it costs me nothing to submit but it would cost me dearly to resist. And the issue will forever be settled. If there is something more to know about it, God will let me know it only as I am obedient.
Mama and I thought back through the years and realized that all of our children have been baptized in an Independent Fundamental Baptist Church, so there is no issue for them if they seek to join with us here. So this Sunday we will set the record straight. Unusual, but not difficult.
Chase is taking his placement testing for San Jacinto Christian School in Amarillo this morning. I have tried to get him to refresh his memory by review of some of the materials he has with him, but I am pretty sure in the month he has been between schools he has not put in more that six hours total. I know he is incredibly bright, but our memories can only retain so much and when tested it can be very disappointing to find out how little that “so much” really is.
I tried to warn him. Today we will see how it turns out.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
A continual beeping, New hires
The boys have been sleeping in their assigned bedroom at the new house for the past several nights and I think Seth is about to go crazy. There is no furniture in any of the rooms, no curtains on the windows, no movement or stirrings of others in the house; nothing to dampen any noise inside those empty walls. There is only a continuous beeping from a broken fire alarm. It sounds every thirty seconds with that shrill, piercing, uncomfortable chirp that can make your blood curdle.
The front bedroom, it will be reserved for the girls when they come, acts like an amplifier for the noxious noise. And even Mama who is there today to oversee the delivery of our new refrigerator has had enough. She has only been there for a couple hours. The boys have been spending the whole night. That is just under one thousand beeps. I wondered Sunday night why they were in no hurry to leave.
I have not been able to fix it because I cannot reach it. It is attached to the ceiling and I cannot reach it without a ladder, a chair or some other artificial elevation device. Even though we managed to remove the battery it continues to chirp because it is wired into the house electrical system. I know I can disconnect it but it will have to wait until our things get there on Thursday. Besides, I can’t hear it in my motel room.
Chase was excited the other day when the desk clerk at the neighboring hotel suggested he take an application. Chase and Seth have been going over regularly to use the weight room and the pool since the facilities at our hotel are being renovated. The same guy has helped them on multiple occasions and has come to have the card key ready for the two of them as soon as he sees them enter the lobby.
They were told that the owner would be in on Tuesday by 11am and Chase actually got up early to make the appointment. I told him Sunday night to dress the same as he had for church for the interview. He called me about an hour ago to tell me he had been offered a job working Friday and Saturday nights from 3pm to 11pm. He sounded pretty thrilled; even for Chase.
Seth is still looking for a job so he and Mama are going to the UPS warehouse today to pick up a package the delivery person would not leave at the house since it looked vacant, and while they are there he will fill out an application with them as he waits to hear back from Walmart. The good thing about Walmart is that it is only a block from the house. Sam’s, for the girl’s work, is less than two miles away by the longer route. And the airport is a whopping fifteen minutes away.
Life will be hard here, but we’ll manage
The front bedroom, it will be reserved for the girls when they come, acts like an amplifier for the noxious noise. And even Mama who is there today to oversee the delivery of our new refrigerator has had enough. She has only been there for a couple hours. The boys have been spending the whole night. That is just under one thousand beeps. I wondered Sunday night why they were in no hurry to leave.
I have not been able to fix it because I cannot reach it. It is attached to the ceiling and I cannot reach it without a ladder, a chair or some other artificial elevation device. Even though we managed to remove the battery it continues to chirp because it is wired into the house electrical system. I know I can disconnect it but it will have to wait until our things get there on Thursday. Besides, I can’t hear it in my motel room.
Chase was excited the other day when the desk clerk at the neighboring hotel suggested he take an application. Chase and Seth have been going over regularly to use the weight room and the pool since the facilities at our hotel are being renovated. The same guy has helped them on multiple occasions and has come to have the card key ready for the two of them as soon as he sees them enter the lobby.
They were told that the owner would be in on Tuesday by 11am and Chase actually got up early to make the appointment. I told him Sunday night to dress the same as he had for church for the interview. He called me about an hour ago to tell me he had been offered a job working Friday and Saturday nights from 3pm to 11pm. He sounded pretty thrilled; even for Chase.
Seth is still looking for a job so he and Mama are going to the UPS warehouse today to pick up a package the delivery person would not leave at the house since it looked vacant, and while they are there he will fill out an application with them as he waits to hear back from Walmart. The good thing about Walmart is that it is only a block from the house. Sam’s, for the girl’s work, is less than two miles away by the longer route. And the airport is a whopping fifteen minutes away.
Life will be hard here, but we’ll manage
The lull before the storm, Temporary?
Mama is not feeling well right now, but that does not stop her from getting the running done that still needs to be done. Fortunately today and tomorrow are less scheduled than she has had to deal with in the past week or so. Chase has his placement testing tomorrow but it should not take too long. If he does well, and I expect he will, he will get one day in before the Thanksgiving break.
He talked about not going for one day but I told him it would be better to get an orientation for one day than to walk in cold for his first week. After all, he has been out of school since we left New Jersey on the 25th of October and he has been lazy in doing any ongoing study even though we have carried his books through a dozen or more states. It will catch up to him in a real big hurry in a week or so.
Thursday while the movers are getting started putting our house together (What a joy!) Mama and I will have to go to the school for an interview with the principal – part of the enrollment process. I have no worries for Chase fitting in. I am a little concerned as to whether or not the principal will like us. But then, I have the advantage, I will be the one paying for his schooling. Maybe that will give me a leg up.
We are very happy with the church we are attending. I told Mama I think one of the reasons the Lord brought us here is to teach us to pray. This is a praying church and the pastor’s wife said of him one evening as she was talking to us, “You have a prayer warrior in my husband.” What a testimony for a woman to give of her husband.
She said this in reference to a statement we had made about the very real potential of relocating mid next year. Nothing is definite but there is a push against my boss to relocate the office more centrally to the area of production growth here in northern Texas. That are is the Barnett Basin which encompasses a very large geographic region through northern Texas, eastern New Mexico, most of Oklahoma and central, southern Kansas. God knows. Our responsibility is to be ready but not worried.
I suppose we can consider ourselves temporary residents in light of the expected move. But in essence, we have always seemed to be temporary residents. The only place I stayed longer than I had planned was New Jersey. All the other locations we have called home were always stepping stones along Mama’s and my wandering path as we sough to give the best to each other and to our children.
God blessed in different ways through each move and we have no real regrets. But I think right now, we are ready to alight.
He talked about not going for one day but I told him it would be better to get an orientation for one day than to walk in cold for his first week. After all, he has been out of school since we left New Jersey on the 25th of October and he has been lazy in doing any ongoing study even though we have carried his books through a dozen or more states. It will catch up to him in a real big hurry in a week or so.
Thursday while the movers are getting started putting our house together (What a joy!) Mama and I will have to go to the school for an interview with the principal – part of the enrollment process. I have no worries for Chase fitting in. I am a little concerned as to whether or not the principal will like us. But then, I have the advantage, I will be the one paying for his schooling. Maybe that will give me a leg up.
We are very happy with the church we are attending. I told Mama I think one of the reasons the Lord brought us here is to teach us to pray. This is a praying church and the pastor’s wife said of him one evening as she was talking to us, “You have a prayer warrior in my husband.” What a testimony for a woman to give of her husband.
She said this in reference to a statement we had made about the very real potential of relocating mid next year. Nothing is definite but there is a push against my boss to relocate the office more centrally to the area of production growth here in northern Texas. That are is the Barnett Basin which encompasses a very large geographic region through northern Texas, eastern New Mexico, most of Oklahoma and central, southern Kansas. God knows. Our responsibility is to be ready but not worried.
I suppose we can consider ourselves temporary residents in light of the expected move. But in essence, we have always seemed to be temporary residents. The only place I stayed longer than I had planned was New Jersey. All the other locations we have called home were always stepping stones along Mama’s and my wandering path as we sough to give the best to each other and to our children.
God blessed in different ways through each move and we have no real regrets. But I think right now, we are ready to alight.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Too full, the little things
Seth and Chase are enjoying their new sense of independence – for the moment. It all ends soon. Chase will start school this Friday and Seth is looking for a job near the house. We will be in the house by Friday but there will be considerable rearranging to do in expectation of the arrival of the girls and Grandma and Grandpa.
I suppose it is inescapable that we will have to share the house until they can find a place to live but having been essentially living out of a suitcase for almost a month I am not looking forward to the house being that filled with people. No matter how much we love each other we all still need our space. And I have made no attempt to find a place for anyone but my wife and our children, so the hunt is not yet over. (Mama is quietly looking but has not said too much to me about it.)
That alone is one of the reasons it was very difficult for me to walk away from the house with the acreage. That much room was hard to resist and there may be some lingering regrets after we get crowded together, but if Mama and I pursue our financial directives first we will reap more long-term benefits. Besides, we know this is only temporary. I am just a little nervous about being held responsible for too much outside of my own immediate family needs.
We are wrestling with internet and cable vs. Direct TV. For me it is not a matter of the cost but rather the mess of installing Direct TV so Mama is investigating the packages and costs of each while running the necessary errands for the boys and herself as we close accounts and open others, rearrange mail service, set up for shipments on hold to now be released to our new address, and move bits of the stuff we have stuffed in the hotel room to closets and shelves in the house.
Remembering how quickly the garage filled up as we moved into the apartment in Somerset, I am curious to see how much space will be swallowed up as we expand slightly into our house. Of course, remembering that we have the contents of another house coming to us in a few weeks.
For the first time in a dozen years Mama and I will get to attend a company Christmas party and yes, they call it a Christmas party here. I will also be free to attend the annual church dinner at our new church –for the first time in over twenty-five years. Having every weekend off has not sunk into my psyche yet, but I think the idea is gaining ground among my forward thinking faculties.
This ought to be an interesting holiday season.
I suppose it is inescapable that we will have to share the house until they can find a place to live but having been essentially living out of a suitcase for almost a month I am not looking forward to the house being that filled with people. No matter how much we love each other we all still need our space. And I have made no attempt to find a place for anyone but my wife and our children, so the hunt is not yet over. (Mama is quietly looking but has not said too much to me about it.)
That alone is one of the reasons it was very difficult for me to walk away from the house with the acreage. That much room was hard to resist and there may be some lingering regrets after we get crowded together, but if Mama and I pursue our financial directives first we will reap more long-term benefits. Besides, we know this is only temporary. I am just a little nervous about being held responsible for too much outside of my own immediate family needs.
We are wrestling with internet and cable vs. Direct TV. For me it is not a matter of the cost but rather the mess of installing Direct TV so Mama is investigating the packages and costs of each while running the necessary errands for the boys and herself as we close accounts and open others, rearrange mail service, set up for shipments on hold to now be released to our new address, and move bits of the stuff we have stuffed in the hotel room to closets and shelves in the house.
Remembering how quickly the garage filled up as we moved into the apartment in Somerset, I am curious to see how much space will be swallowed up as we expand slightly into our house. Of course, remembering that we have the contents of another house coming to us in a few weeks.
For the first time in a dozen years Mama and I will get to attend a company Christmas party and yes, they call it a Christmas party here. I will also be free to attend the annual church dinner at our new church –for the first time in over twenty-five years. Having every weekend off has not sunk into my psyche yet, but I think the idea is gaining ground among my forward thinking faculties.
This ought to be an interesting holiday season.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Sleep overs, The “Pablo”
Since we have had to live in a one bedroon suite for the past ten days it was a real blessing for the boys that we got the keys to the house this weekend. They spent the night last night (The houses first sleep over.) after Mama determined that we had cleaned sufficiently to make it habitable. My thought was that it was for two teenage boys so it did not have to be too clean.
As they got up to take showers this morning they discovered that the shower enclosure in the master bath had a poorly installed faucet and they could not get any hot water to run through it. It was the only shower available since the hall bath did not have a shower curtain. The outside temperature was about 25 degrees so the water was pretty cold. I was told it was very stimulating. They made it to the hotel on time to eat breakfast before Sunday School and they looked presentable. What more can I ask?
Mama had to yeild to someone moving in before her and anyome using the shower before her was frustrating her more than a little – until she found out the problem the boys discovered for her. So it all worked out pretty well. At least they did not use “her” towels.
We get our refrigerator delivered on Tuesday so there will be something to eat and cold milk for a bowl of cereal. All of our shipped stuff gets delivered on Thursday so we will see how quickly this little house fills up. Mama and I are planning to vacate the hotel as of Thursday and live for one whole weekend in the house before we travel to Chappell Hill to spend Thanksgiving with Mom and Dad.
Our reator’s name is Pablo. He is a Spanish heritage man who just turned 50 years old. He has a full head of hair which is mostly white, peppered with black. He keeps it trimmed about 1 ½ inches long, in a stiffly spiked style. Both Chase and Seth loved it. They liked him as well. He is a lot of fun.
As we were following him to get the key to the rental property he called to tell us we were passing the barber shop he uses and Chase and Seth began to tease about going in to get their hair styled the same as him. Chase said, “I’m guessing they know him well enough to ask for a cut like his?” I told him to go in and ask for “The Pablo”.
It will be interesting to see how that turns out.
As they got up to take showers this morning they discovered that the shower enclosure in the master bath had a poorly installed faucet and they could not get any hot water to run through it. It was the only shower available since the hall bath did not have a shower curtain. The outside temperature was about 25 degrees so the water was pretty cold. I was told it was very stimulating. They made it to the hotel on time to eat breakfast before Sunday School and they looked presentable. What more can I ask?
Mama had to yeild to someone moving in before her and anyome using the shower before her was frustrating her more than a little – until she found out the problem the boys discovered for her. So it all worked out pretty well. At least they did not use “her” towels.
We get our refrigerator delivered on Tuesday so there will be something to eat and cold milk for a bowl of cereal. All of our shipped stuff gets delivered on Thursday so we will see how quickly this little house fills up. Mama and I are planning to vacate the hotel as of Thursday and live for one whole weekend in the house before we travel to Chappell Hill to spend Thanksgiving with Mom and Dad.
Our reator’s name is Pablo. He is a Spanish heritage man who just turned 50 years old. He has a full head of hair which is mostly white, peppered with black. He keeps it trimmed about 1 ½ inches long, in a stiffly spiked style. Both Chase and Seth loved it. They liked him as well. He is a lot of fun.
As we were following him to get the key to the rental property he called to tell us we were passing the barber shop he uses and Chase and Seth began to tease about going in to get their hair styled the same as him. Chase said, “I’m guessing they know him well enough to ask for a cut like his?” I told him to go in and ask for “The Pablo”.
It will be interesting to see how that turns out.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Appliance Shopping, Palo Duro Canyon
Having the day off on Friday gave me some time to spend with Mama appliance shopping after the weather cleared. We had pretty well settled on buying in the scratch and dent section of Sears when we went to bed on Friday night. I was a little disappointed at the prices because I had a lower budget price in mind for a washer and dryer.
Saturday turned out to be a busy day because we got the paperwork for the house we are renting signed and the realtor we are working with arranged for us to get a key for the house that afternoon. So we got to move a few things out of the back of the car and into the garage of the house. We did not take too many things in because it was incredibly dusty after a year of sitting vacant – brand new but vacant.
Anyway we needed extra keys so we went to Home Depot to get some keys made and as we walked in the door we saw a brand new Maytag dryer with a price banner offering the dryer for $250. Neither of us had considered Home Depot for appliances but we ended up find a matching washer for $250 also. The price I had wanted to budget for the pair was $500. So we bought the pair and loaded the dryer into the little van. The washer is on order.
That in itself was kind of unique because I had decided on a whim – I thought – to take both of the back seats out of the little van as I was unloading the boxes that had been in there since we left Hot Springs when we had repacked the van for our trip to Amarillo. God knew what He was doing. I’m just glad I followed directions for once. Because of leaving the seats in our garage, the dryer easily fit in the van.
We unloaded the dryer this morning and cleaned some on the house then we left for Palo Duro Canyon. Turns out is only about forty minutes south of us. It was impressive! I asked to buy a year long pass for the Texas Parks system as we entered the park but the ranger on duty said the computer s were down and he would not be able to process the pass for us. Instead he let us into the park for free. He told us, “It’s not your fault the computers are down.”
It is impossible to describe how big this canyon is but according to the map legends we were reading one ridge of the canyon we were seeing in the distance was over three miles away. The scenery was spectacular; washed out limestone gullies filled with juniper trees, cactus and Texas scrub bushes. In the distance the yellowing cottonwood trees announced the presence of water in a creek or the beginning of a river.
The formations were varied in color, shape, and height. They were made of clay, sandstone and limestone and as we drove down into the canyon we had to cross five low-water crossings slightly overflowing with continued runoff from the earlier days of rain and snow.
One thirty minute hike from the road to a precipice through a rough gully to another precipice for another view of the massive formation wore Mama our so badly that she talked about it for the next several hours.
It was the firmament showing His handiwork. It was great.
Saturday turned out to be a busy day because we got the paperwork for the house we are renting signed and the realtor we are working with arranged for us to get a key for the house that afternoon. So we got to move a few things out of the back of the car and into the garage of the house. We did not take too many things in because it was incredibly dusty after a year of sitting vacant – brand new but vacant.
Anyway we needed extra keys so we went to Home Depot to get some keys made and as we walked in the door we saw a brand new Maytag dryer with a price banner offering the dryer for $250. Neither of us had considered Home Depot for appliances but we ended up find a matching washer for $250 also. The price I had wanted to budget for the pair was $500. So we bought the pair and loaded the dryer into the little van. The washer is on order.
That in itself was kind of unique because I had decided on a whim – I thought – to take both of the back seats out of the little van as I was unloading the boxes that had been in there since we left Hot Springs when we had repacked the van for our trip to Amarillo. God knew what He was doing. I’m just glad I followed directions for once. Because of leaving the seats in our garage, the dryer easily fit in the van.
We unloaded the dryer this morning and cleaned some on the house then we left for Palo Duro Canyon. Turns out is only about forty minutes south of us. It was impressive! I asked to buy a year long pass for the Texas Parks system as we entered the park but the ranger on duty said the computer s were down and he would not be able to process the pass for us. Instead he let us into the park for free. He told us, “It’s not your fault the computers are down.” It is impossible to describe how big this canyon is but according to the map legends we were reading one ridge of the canyon we were seeing in the distance was over three miles away. The scenery was spectacular; washed out limestone gullies filled with juniper trees, cactus and Texas scrub bushes. In the distance the yellowing cottonwood trees announced the presence of water in a creek or the beginning of a river.
The formations were varied in color, shape, and height. They were made of clay, sandstone and limestone and as we drove down into the canyon we had to cross five low-water crossings slightly overflowing with continued runoff from the earlier days of rain and snow.
One thirty minute hike from the road to a precipice through a rough gully to another precipice for another view of the massive formation wore Mama our so badly that she talked about it for the next several hours.
It was the firmament showing His handiwork. It was great.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Snow days, Premature Mommys
I generally make these posts a day behind but today I think the news is significant enough that I will make it current – at least in part.
I generally wake up over several hours when I am working days and though this job is only days, the habit has been hard to break. I started looking at the clock about 4:30am and was not surprised to see lightening flashes piercing the thick drapes we have in the hotel room. As we were in the mall last night the thunderstorms started to drop rain in buckets full on Amarillo and the streets immediately flooded.
So this early a.m. I was not surprised to see the storms were still around. I knew it would be a slower drive to work so I left the hotel room about 5:15a.m., computer bag and lunchbox in hand and started down the hall to the exit nearest the car. It seemed awfully light outside for that time of the morning and it seemed really white. It was, in fact, very white.
Amarillo and the surrounding area were getting hammered with blizzard-like conditions. I stood at the door – inside – and called my boss to let him know that I would not be in today. At that time there was about ½” of fresh snow on the ground and it was blowing in sideways carried by 25-40mph winds. Now an hour and one half later we have about two plus inches on all stationary objects.
The kicker is that the late afternoon is forecast to be sunny and 45 degrees. For the moment we enjoying looking out of the huge window in our room, seeing the huge snowflakes accumulate. This scenario is about the best we could hope for.
Yesterday my daughter called to tell me about the grandkids and their interactions. It is always fascinating to see such interplay at the two and three-year-old level. He pulls her hair. She cries. She snatches a toy away from him. He cries. Both offences punished at Mommy’s diligent hand.
Yesterday was a reading day. Mykenzie with her book and Grant with him. Both on the couch, but each with their own book. As usual, Mykenzie had to go potty. Carefully putting down her book, she looked sternly at Grand and commanded, “Don’t touch my book! Okay?” Grant, in his two-year-old way, looked at her book, looked at her and said “Okay” with the same lack of full understanding that most males have in such circumstances as if to say, “Why would I touch your book in the first place?”
Convinced she was fully in charge, she bounded off to the bathroom. And in true female fashion, just to make sure things were still as she had organized them, she called out, “Grant, are you touching my book?” “No Kenzie.” he responded with unfeigned irritation. “Grant, you are supposed to say, ‘No Maam.”
Papi is already praying for this child’s husband.
I generally wake up over several hours when I am working days and though this job is only days, the habit has been hard to break. I started looking at the clock about 4:30am and was not surprised to see lightening flashes piercing the thick drapes we have in the hotel room. As we were in the mall last night the thunderstorms started to drop rain in buckets full on Amarillo and the streets immediately flooded.
So this early a.m. I was not surprised to see the storms were still around. I knew it would be a slower drive to work so I left the hotel room about 5:15a.m., computer bag and lunchbox in hand and started down the hall to the exit nearest the car. It seemed awfully light outside for that time of the morning and it seemed really white. It was, in fact, very white.
Amarillo and the surrounding area were getting hammered with blizzard-like conditions. I stood at the door – inside – and called my boss to let him know that I would not be in today. At that time there was about ½” of fresh snow on the ground and it was blowing in sideways carried by 25-40mph winds. Now an hour and one half later we have about two plus inches on all stationary objects.
The kicker is that the late afternoon is forecast to be sunny and 45 degrees. For the moment we enjoying looking out of the huge window in our room, seeing the huge snowflakes accumulate. This scenario is about the best we could hope for.
Yesterday my daughter called to tell me about the grandkids and their interactions. It is always fascinating to see such interplay at the two and three-year-old level. He pulls her hair. She cries. She snatches a toy away from him. He cries. Both offences punished at Mommy’s diligent hand.
Yesterday was a reading day. Mykenzie with her book and Grant with him. Both on the couch, but each with their own book. As usual, Mykenzie had to go potty. Carefully putting down her book, she looked sternly at Grand and commanded, “Don’t touch my book! Okay?” Grant, in his two-year-old way, looked at her book, looked at her and said “Okay” with the same lack of full understanding that most males have in such circumstances as if to say, “Why would I touch your book in the first place?”
Convinced she was fully in charge, she bounded off to the bathroom. And in true female fashion, just to make sure things were still as she had organized them, she called out, “Grant, are you touching my book?” “No Kenzie.” he responded with unfeigned irritation. “Grant, you are supposed to say, ‘No Maam.”
Papi is already praying for this child’s husband.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
First day, One busy Mama
I think almost everyone dreads the first day of work at a new job. Many people dread going back to work after vacation; still other’s dread going back each and every Monday morning. Though I have never been one of the latter sort, I was a little nervous going to the office on my first day.
I had no access to the building or to my office, so I asked someone arriving for work to let me into the security office so I could at least get my card pass for the building; fortunately the guy in charge of issuing the pass was already there and he had my pass ready. He asked, “You Kline?” I said “Yes.” And he handed me the pass. Back in New Jersey that interaction would have been slightly more difficult.
Someone with a key was in the office to let me into my office – which is very barren just yet. That is made more obvious by the sheer size of it. It is probably 14’x16 with windows on one entire wall. I believe the windows face south so excessive sun is not a problem. It is really quite nice and I consider myself fortunate to have it.
I do not really know what is expected of me yet, but I am being given little glimpses at a time and some of the team I have here are already bouncing questions off of me about things I shouldn’t really answer them on. But I did anyway. It was really to tell them they were headed the right direction with the project they were working on. If I was wrong we will correct it together later.
Wednesday I will spend the entire day traveling with my boss to visit the various outposts where some of the personnel I am responsible for are stationed. It should be an interesting day – roughly nine hours of travel and three hours of meetings. I am afraid I may be late for church on our very first Wednesday night.
Mama vacillates between excited and frustrated with the load of things that have fallen to her while I am at work; house hunting, getting Chase registered for school, looking for work for Seth, looking for a place fro Grandma and Grandpa to rent, etc. Even Chase mentioned that it is a little weird that I am not off on any weekdays any more. I won’t know how weird it is for a couple of weeks. I am hoping it will be better - for Mama and me, for church and for Chase’s school activities. It has been a long time since I have been home every evening and every weekend. I’m a little afraid of wearing out my welcome.
Mama, the boys and I went to try on boots at a store after lunch on Sunday afternoon and as I was looking a kindly salesman – dressed for the part of a salesman in a boot shop in Texas – asked if I was looking for boots also. When I answered that I was he shot his thumb over his shoulder to the other side of the store. “Men’s boots are over there.”
“Thanks” I told him. “I was beginning to think Texas had changed a lot more than I realized since we’ve been gone.”
I had no access to the building or to my office, so I asked someone arriving for work to let me into the security office so I could at least get my card pass for the building; fortunately the guy in charge of issuing the pass was already there and he had my pass ready. He asked, “You Kline?” I said “Yes.” And he handed me the pass. Back in New Jersey that interaction would have been slightly more difficult.
Someone with a key was in the office to let me into my office – which is very barren just yet. That is made more obvious by the sheer size of it. It is probably 14’x16 with windows on one entire wall. I believe the windows face south so excessive sun is not a problem. It is really quite nice and I consider myself fortunate to have it.
I do not really know what is expected of me yet, but I am being given little glimpses at a time and some of the team I have here are already bouncing questions off of me about things I shouldn’t really answer them on. But I did anyway. It was really to tell them they were headed the right direction with the project they were working on. If I was wrong we will correct it together later.
Wednesday I will spend the entire day traveling with my boss to visit the various outposts where some of the personnel I am responsible for are stationed. It should be an interesting day – roughly nine hours of travel and three hours of meetings. I am afraid I may be late for church on our very first Wednesday night.
Mama vacillates between excited and frustrated with the load of things that have fallen to her while I am at work; house hunting, getting Chase registered for school, looking for work for Seth, looking for a place fro Grandma and Grandpa to rent, etc. Even Chase mentioned that it is a little weird that I am not off on any weekdays any more. I won’t know how weird it is for a couple of weeks. I am hoping it will be better - for Mama and me, for church and for Chase’s school activities. It has been a long time since I have been home every evening and every weekend. I’m a little afraid of wearing out my welcome.
Mama, the boys and I went to try on boots at a store after lunch on Sunday afternoon and as I was looking a kindly salesman – dressed for the part of a salesman in a boot shop in Texas – asked if I was looking for boots also. When I answered that I was he shot his thumb over his shoulder to the other side of the store. “Men’s boots are over there.”
“Thanks” I told him. “I was beginning to think Texas had changed a lot more than I realized since we’ve been gone.”
Monday, November 8, 2010
Visiting Borger, Looking for houses, Hotel living
Thought I only visited my new work site on Friday, I have a feeling that it will be much more relaxed than running the reactors has ever been. I still have no real insight into what my new job will entail, but I seem to have very competent personnel to administer their potions of the work they are normally assigned.
As we drove out to Borger to visit the office, Chase and Seth played the windmill game (Spotting and being the first to call “windmill”.), which frustrated Mama to death since she could not seem to focus on the competition as well as the two teenagers. We do have a lot on our minds right now. But the terrain and the lack of traffic are making Chase very anxious to drive.
Saturday – our second full day here – we met with a realtor to look at a couple of houses. Advertizing on the web has been frustrating so we decided to use people contacts. The inside of the first house we looked at was less than appealing and it reeked of urine, but the house would present a workable solution for our needs – after it is emptied and cleaned up. The second house was much better.
It was a newly built home. It was the model home for the subdivision that had recently been built. It was a little small – only three bedrooms – and the smallest back yard I have ever seen. Never-the-less, we put in a contract to lease it as soon as we looked it over.
The caveat is that the house has a sale pending, contingent on the sale of the buyer’s current home. So we will learn today if it is a real possibility or a long-shot. As soon as we know we will make any necessary arrangements; to move in or to look at more rental properties.
Church was wonderful. It is a friendly, close group of people who made us feel welcome before we got in the door. The singing was purely hymns – some of which I have not sung since we left Texas nine years ago. The preaching was great and for some reason peoples names just seemed to click in our minds. Chase liked the Youth Pastor and Seth very much enjoyed his Sunday School Class. I told Pastor Miller in a letter this morning that we will not look anywhere else.
It was a little awkward for me this morning. I had to get up at 5a.m. in a hotel room shared with Mama, Chase and Seth. Mama is usually up early now so disturbing her was minimal and I had set up all the items needed to have with me today in a convenient spot by the door, but inching through the tiny living area in our one bedroom suite, was frustrating.
Unlike Mama, both of the boys are heavy sleepers and I am pretty sure I did not disturb either of them much. I hope we will not be in this situation for too long, but we will manage somehow.
Yesterday, Mama, Seth and I wanted a fish sandwich so we went to Burger King. They do have a good fish sandwich; when I looked at the posted nutritional chart I discovered why it tastes so good. It had 640 calories, 1600mg of sodium and 31 grams of fat.
So much for fish being a healthy choice.
As we drove out to Borger to visit the office, Chase and Seth played the windmill game (Spotting and being the first to call “windmill”.), which frustrated Mama to death since she could not seem to focus on the competition as well as the two teenagers. We do have a lot on our minds right now. But the terrain and the lack of traffic are making Chase very anxious to drive.
Saturday – our second full day here – we met with a realtor to look at a couple of houses. Advertizing on the web has been frustrating so we decided to use people contacts. The inside of the first house we looked at was less than appealing and it reeked of urine, but the house would present a workable solution for our needs – after it is emptied and cleaned up. The second house was much better.
It was a newly built home. It was the model home for the subdivision that had recently been built. It was a little small – only three bedrooms – and the smallest back yard I have ever seen. Never-the-less, we put in a contract to lease it as soon as we looked it over.
The caveat is that the house has a sale pending, contingent on the sale of the buyer’s current home. So we will learn today if it is a real possibility or a long-shot. As soon as we know we will make any necessary arrangements; to move in or to look at more rental properties.
Church was wonderful. It is a friendly, close group of people who made us feel welcome before we got in the door. The singing was purely hymns – some of which I have not sung since we left Texas nine years ago. The preaching was great and for some reason peoples names just seemed to click in our minds. Chase liked the Youth Pastor and Seth very much enjoyed his Sunday School Class. I told Pastor Miller in a letter this morning that we will not look anywhere else.
It was a little awkward for me this morning. I had to get up at 5a.m. in a hotel room shared with Mama, Chase and Seth. Mama is usually up early now so disturbing her was minimal and I had set up all the items needed to have with me today in a convenient spot by the door, but inching through the tiny living area in our one bedroom suite, was frustrating.
Unlike Mama, both of the boys are heavy sleepers and I am pretty sure I did not disturb either of them much. I hope we will not be in this situation for too long, but we will manage somehow.
Yesterday, Mama, Seth and I wanted a fish sandwich so we went to Burger King. They do have a good fish sandwich; when I looked at the posted nutritional chart I discovered why it tastes so good. It had 640 calories, 1600mg of sodium and 31 grams of fat.
So much for fish being a healthy choice.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
One Happy Bank, Seven Sisters
One of the more urgent tasks we needed to get done on arrival was starting a local bank account. On the advice of our new pastor we contacted Happy State Bank in Amarillo and I mailed them our identification documentation prior to leaving New Jersey. They created an account for us and were holding all the paperwork pending our signatures.
One of the bank representatives met us at the hotel yesterday about 4pm and got the signatures needed. I gave her a check to start the account and she credited it to our account as soon as she got back to the nearest branch office. She had our debit cards activated and ready to use – pending the deposit.
So within fifteen minutes we created an active, funded account, complete with ATM cards and we never saw the inside of the bank. I think Mama and the representative talked about forty minutes during and after transacting the paperwork. It was a different banking experience than we have ever had. It is something Mama and I could get used to.
While at breakfast yesterday we met – rather Mama met – a group of seven sisters who get together once a year to catch up and reminisce; a time they spend celebrating life and close family. They range in age from 64 to 82. All are in respectable health and four still have their husbands with them. It seemed to reinforce the strength of family and the bond of loved ones in a very visual way. For all of them to plan to go out of their way simply to visit with each other every year evidences a special intimacy and grace that is rarely seen anymore.
We are still learning Amarillo, but in only a couple days we are familiar with several areas near the church we are planning to attend and thanks to the GPS we have I learned a faster way to work from the hotel we are staying in temporarily.
As of Monday there will be no more sleeping late.
One of the bank representatives met us at the hotel yesterday about 4pm and got the signatures needed. I gave her a check to start the account and she credited it to our account as soon as she got back to the nearest branch office. She had our debit cards activated and ready to use – pending the deposit.
So within fifteen minutes we created an active, funded account, complete with ATM cards and we never saw the inside of the bank. I think Mama and the representative talked about forty minutes during and after transacting the paperwork. It was a different banking experience than we have ever had. It is something Mama and I could get used to.
While at breakfast yesterday we met – rather Mama met – a group of seven sisters who get together once a year to catch up and reminisce; a time they spend celebrating life and close family. They range in age from 64 to 82. All are in respectable health and four still have their husbands with them. It seemed to reinforce the strength of family and the bond of loved ones in a very visual way. For all of them to plan to go out of their way simply to visit with each other every year evidences a special intimacy and grace that is rarely seen anymore.
We are still learning Amarillo, but in only a couple days we are familiar with several areas near the church we are planning to attend and thanks to the GPS we have I learned a faster way to work from the hotel we are staying in temporarily.
As of Monday there will be no more sleeping late.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Getting to Amarillo, Awkward moments
We got to Amarillo late yesterday. Well, maybe not so late, about 7:45pm. But after we had checked into the hotel and unloaded all that we needed for the time we will be here, I was pretty exhausted. I still managed to look at the indoor saltwater pool and hot tube in the hotel next to ours – we are allowed to use their facilities. But I was not much good after that.
Seth followed us most of the way from Hot Springs and it was a good thing because about an hour outside of Oklahoma City I noticed that a split in his front bumper was tearing loose and starting to flap badly in the crosswind we were driving through. After we cut it off and strengthened the remaining piece Seth decided we were going too slowly for him and Chase, so they pulled ahead.
We let them go because Amarillo was only about 150 miles ahead and it is a straight shot west on I-40. There was no way they could get lost. Besides, they wanted to make it to Texas before us. They succeeded by about twenty minutes. So while they were waiting on us they went to the mall across the road from our hotel.
When they caught back up with us, we were on our second trip with the hotel cart and they joined right in. As we were finishing up Chase picked up the new computer we had bought – it is pretty bulky and slightly heavy – but he stopped at the locked door. He had the key card for the hotel door in his jacket pocket. At least he thought he did, but as Seth checked both side pockets and the inside pocket he came up empty.
Chase was not even thinking about putting the computer down so he asked Seth to feel in his front pants pockets. As Seth was standing behind him carrying out the search of Chase’s front pockets, I came up to them with a load of baggage, stared at them and they were both embarrassed. “If this is the way the two of you are going to act in Texas, I’m sending both of you back to Hot Springs.”
We will explore tomorrow while we take care of some of the more urgent tasks in our relocation.
Seth followed us most of the way from Hot Springs and it was a good thing because about an hour outside of Oklahoma City I noticed that a split in his front bumper was tearing loose and starting to flap badly in the crosswind we were driving through. After we cut it off and strengthened the remaining piece Seth decided we were going too slowly for him and Chase, so they pulled ahead.
We let them go because Amarillo was only about 150 miles ahead and it is a straight shot west on I-40. There was no way they could get lost. Besides, they wanted to make it to Texas before us. They succeeded by about twenty minutes. So while they were waiting on us they went to the mall across the road from our hotel.
When they caught back up with us, we were on our second trip with the hotel cart and they joined right in. As we were finishing up Chase picked up the new computer we had bought – it is pretty bulky and slightly heavy – but he stopped at the locked door. He had the key card for the hotel door in his jacket pocket. At least he thought he did, but as Seth checked both side pockets and the inside pocket he came up empty.
Chase was not even thinking about putting the computer down so he asked Seth to feel in his front pants pockets. As Seth was standing behind him carrying out the search of Chase’s front pockets, I came up to them with a load of baggage, stared at them and they were both embarrassed. “If this is the way the two of you are going to act in Texas, I’m sending both of you back to Hot Springs.”
We will explore tomorrow while we take care of some of the more urgent tasks in our relocation.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Hot Springs Events
It always takes a day to understand the schedule our children have to keep with school and work, not to mention the social events they coordinate their lives around. But we fit in where we can and enjoy every moment of the time shared.
Part of that time together was spent in chapel services yesterday. The Dean of Men spoke and it was a hard sermon about separation in the physical and spiritual life. Several of the examples were quite good. He spoke about a hamburger he ordered one time. It looked appetizing. It was thick. It looked juicy. It looked perfect and he was instantly hungry when the server set it down in front of him.
But when he picked it up to take the first bite he saw a hair sticking out of the side of the bun. It was only one hair. It was so small. It could easily be pulled out of the burger. It couldn’t possibly contaminate it too much. But he could not eat it. He sent it back for a cleaner one; a non-contaminated one. That small hair made the entire burger unclean, inedible, and soiled. All the good that the burger offered was completely ruined by one small hair. We need to be so careful in our Christian walk.
While some of us were enjoying a swim in a heated indoor pool Brittany called to tell us that she was involved in a minor accident. She was okay and the car was only scratched but there was some damage to the other vehicle. It happened at a four way stop and on Brittany’s turn to go the other driver thought they would us their stop sign as a suggestion and go ahead of everyone else.
Brittany ended up with the ticket and will have to appear in court to find out the dollar amount of the fine and the number of points that will be assigned to her. It ruined her evening, but it is a minor setback with a major wake up call attached. It will eventually turn out fine.
Mama and I have enjoyed a couple nights alone together in the motel where we are staying, realizing that until we get a house, it is the only time we will have to ourselves for the next few weeks.
As things stand right now it looks like Seth will be going over with us tomorrow. It will give him a chance to look for work in Amarillo and it will give Chase a friend to hang out with. We will hit the ground running when we get there. Hopefully we will be able to settle into a routine quickly and catch our breath soon after.
The Lord is going before us and Mama is with me. We’ll be fine…eventually.
Part of that time together was spent in chapel services yesterday. The Dean of Men spoke and it was a hard sermon about separation in the physical and spiritual life. Several of the examples were quite good. He spoke about a hamburger he ordered one time. It looked appetizing. It was thick. It looked juicy. It looked perfect and he was instantly hungry when the server set it down in front of him.
But when he picked it up to take the first bite he saw a hair sticking out of the side of the bun. It was only one hair. It was so small. It could easily be pulled out of the burger. It couldn’t possibly contaminate it too much. But he could not eat it. He sent it back for a cleaner one; a non-contaminated one. That small hair made the entire burger unclean, inedible, and soiled. All the good that the burger offered was completely ruined by one small hair. We need to be so careful in our Christian walk.
While some of us were enjoying a swim in a heated indoor pool Brittany called to tell us that she was involved in a minor accident. She was okay and the car was only scratched but there was some damage to the other vehicle. It happened at a four way stop and on Brittany’s turn to go the other driver thought they would us their stop sign as a suggestion and go ahead of everyone else.
Brittany ended up with the ticket and will have to appear in court to find out the dollar amount of the fine and the number of points that will be assigned to her. It ruined her evening, but it is a minor setback with a major wake up call attached. It will eventually turn out fine.
Mama and I have enjoyed a couple nights alone together in the motel where we are staying, realizing that until we get a house, it is the only time we will have to ourselves for the next few weeks.
As things stand right now it looks like Seth will be going over with us tomorrow. It will give him a chance to look for work in Amarillo and it will give Chase a friend to hang out with. We will hit the ground running when we get there. Hopefully we will be able to settle into a routine quickly and catch our breath soon after.
The Lord is going before us and Mama is with me. We’ll be fine…eventually.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Leaving the Little ones, Visiting the big ones
We have established the routine of leaving the grandchildren after they wake up. It puts us behind schedule as far as travel time is concerned but it seems to finalize the visit for them. It is a sort of Mister Rogers approach as we pack the car and put on our traveling cardigans so the visit comes to a visible end.
We eat breakfast together, pack the car together and load up Papi, Grammy and whoever is with us, back out of the driveway and let the grandkids run down the street waving goodbye as we drive away. (It is a very quiet street.) For Mykenzie, it is a clean break so she knows that the regular routine of her day will begin again. For Grant it is less of a finality since he is only two years old, but it provides an event his parents can point to establishing a moment they can used to explain our no longer being there with him. Leaving gets harder every time.
We had a pleasant drive over to Hot Springs on mostly back roads and secondary highways. It may have been a slower way to go but it was not nearly as stressful for me. It took a full ten hours of driving so we arrived a little after 7 p.m. Victoria and Maggie were still working and Brittany was “trapped” in the dorm; two held prisoner by work schedules, one held prisoner by rules. Such is life.
But Josh, Seth, Grandma and Grandpa were home for the initial hellos. It is always good to see family and it is reassuring to see how the Lord has allowed our children to mature physically and spiritually.
Eventually we all got together and were able to visit a while before I had to get to bed. Mama and I were worn out, but after a good night’s sleep and a hot breakfast we left the motel to wake up the house – literally.
Today we will attend Chapel at Gospel Light with the girls and probably have lunch with them in the cafeteria. It will give me a chance to visit with Pastor Capaci before we see him tomorrow night at church. We both enjoy that.
As we spend a few days here it is difficult not to think about the final leg of the move and the long list of tasks that await us there. It is impossible not to think of the church family we left in New Jersey, but it is a joy to hear the good reports that we get from friends still there.
Pastor Miller has always said that it is easy to leave, but hard to stay. I understand the sentiment, but it turns out that that may not be entirely true.
We eat breakfast together, pack the car together and load up Papi, Grammy and whoever is with us, back out of the driveway and let the grandkids run down the street waving goodbye as we drive away. (It is a very quiet street.) For Mykenzie, it is a clean break so she knows that the regular routine of her day will begin again. For Grant it is less of a finality since he is only two years old, but it provides an event his parents can point to establishing a moment they can used to explain our no longer being there with him. Leaving gets harder every time.
We had a pleasant drive over to Hot Springs on mostly back roads and secondary highways. It may have been a slower way to go but it was not nearly as stressful for me. It took a full ten hours of driving so we arrived a little after 7 p.m. Victoria and Maggie were still working and Brittany was “trapped” in the dorm; two held prisoner by work schedules, one held prisoner by rules. Such is life.
But Josh, Seth, Grandma and Grandpa were home for the initial hellos. It is always good to see family and it is reassuring to see how the Lord has allowed our children to mature physically and spiritually.
Eventually we all got together and were able to visit a while before I had to get to bed. Mama and I were worn out, but after a good night’s sleep and a hot breakfast we left the motel to wake up the house – literally.
Today we will attend Chapel at Gospel Light with the girls and probably have lunch with them in the cafeteria. It will give me a chance to visit with Pastor Capaci before we see him tomorrow night at church. We both enjoy that.
As we spend a few days here it is difficult not to think about the final leg of the move and the long list of tasks that await us there. It is impossible not to think of the church family we left in New Jersey, but it is a joy to hear the good reports that we get from friends still there.
Pastor Miller has always said that it is easy to leave, but hard to stay. I understand the sentiment, but it turns out that that may not be entirely true.
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